I am
amazed that the controversy surrounding the proposed Muslim mosque
and community center in New York City at ground zero is still going
strong. America has turned into a country where if you don’t agree
with someone, you are painted as a bad person. This is exactly what
is going on in New York City.

Those
who oppose the project have lost the legal battle, but now they are
attempting to turn it into a political battle. I find those in
opposition full of hypocrisy, especially those in the Republican
Party.

When
President Obama used the word “empathy” to describe one of the
qualities he looked for in a Supreme Court nominee, Republicans
ripped into him (and rightfully so). Our legal system is based on
the law, not how one feels about a given case or person involved in
a case.

Now,
when it comes to the proposed mosque at ground zero, these same
people want the Muslim community to be “sensitive” (i.e. empathetic)
towards the family members of those killed and others impacted my
9/11. Mind you that everyone agrees that the Muslims have the legal
right to move forward with the project—not even the most vocal
opponent argues this point.

Their
whole argument is about “sensitivity.” How ironic that when Obama
suggested empathy in a Supreme Court nominee, he was excoriated.
Now, these very same people are encouraging the same thing, albeit
in a different circumstance.

As a
long time Republican, I have had many conversations with white folks
in the party regarding the confederate flag (pictured above) and its
place in our society. These people see absolutely no problem with
the flag flying on the dome of state capitols around the country,
even though they know it’s very offensive to the Black community.

I have
been told on many occasions that I (and the Black community) was
being overly sensitive and that those who support the flying of the
flag are within their rights. Additionally, I was told, you can’t
expect people to forget their heritage because of the sensitivities
of the Black community. After all, “me nor my parents or
grandparents were part of the confederacy. But, it is party of our
family’s history; therefore, we celebrate it. We had nothing to do
with slavery, nor do we support any type of discrimination.”

Isn’t
this the same argument the Muslims are using in New York? They had
nothing to do with 9/11. But, yet they want to be able to celebrate
their religion, despite the bad feelings that others may experience.

Once
again, these same Republicans who oppose the Muslims in New York on
grounds of “sensitivity,” will not take the same stand on the
confederate flag when it comes to the Black community.

Principles are guides to one’s life that are not relative or
situational. Principles have to be consistently applied for one to
be credible and maintain the moral high ground. You can’t pick and
choose when to apply one’s principles.

Through
what’s going on in New York, maybe, just maybe, Republicans will
better understand how Blacks feel about the confederate flag. And
maybe, just maybe, the next time Blacks express their feelings about
having the confederate flag flying atop government buildings,
Republicans won’t just blow us off. But, maybe they will be
“sensitive” to the pain the flag evokes within our community.

Can you
honor the confederate flag without being a racist? Without a
doubt. Can you support the Muslim project in New York without being
“insensitive?” Without a question.

To
believe one without the other is to fly the flag of hypocrisy.

###

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO
of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public
relations/government affairs firm. He is also a contributing editor
for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com)
.

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